Kesar Patel -Principal -Tagore Global School, Kurukshetra

The new venture of Tagore Group of Schools, Tagore Global School, located in Kurukshetra-Haryana is a CBSE affiliated school. Still, in its inaugural year of operation, the school is headed by Kesar Patel as its Principal who has over two decades of experience in the Education sector.

Preparing the students for a world which we have not seen but only foreseen is a challenge in itself for any Educator
Kesar says that they have tried to identify the skills and the aptitudes required for the tomorrow’s adult. They have chalked out some very basic skills and devised the curriculum and other activities based on it.
These students need challenges, they want to learn, they want to be techno savvy, they want to incorporate whatever they have learnt into the classrooms, they challenge their peers, at times they collaborate with them, they become leaders at times and learn to follow equally well and lots more.
Specific learning skills adopted to prepare the students for global competency.

Teaching Decision Making Skills to Students

We have to make several decisions every single day, ranging from the simple – what to eat for breakfast to the more complex of whether to invest in a car now or later. Hence, before teaching financial literacy skills, or leadership skills or social responsibility skills, it is important to teach them the skill of decision making.

The child has to learn to take the decisions independently and stand by his or her decision, accept the consequences of those decisions and learn to move ahead and take new decisions in life.

Tackling the Obsession for Competitive Exams

Mrs Patel believes that career counseling is the key word. The majority of students do not realize where their true potential lies. They only see a good job and better prospects and so they jump into the race of competitive exams. If the students are aware of their passion and potential, they will definitely take different routes and so there will be less of running around for these competitive examinations.

Challenges Faced As a Principal

Mrs Patel tells us that the three biggest challenges are –
a. Training teachers and giving them apt exposure. Making the teacher realize the nobility of the profession and the need of the hour. Education has to be a blend of traditional and modern practices.
b. To help the students realize their true potential and help them to understand that school education is not all about literacy – it is about skills which will help them to work and survive in the coming years.
c. Educating parents that education is not at all about marks but about the development of their wards. They need to realize that the professions which are in existence today might not be available in the coming years.
Also, global skills might seem secondary in importance where literacy is still a challenge for India, but we believe that if we truly aspire to have a world class education system, we must engage with the world.